More Than Friends - A Hayes Grier fanfiction

Chapter 48 - Not exactly waking up in Vegas

I feel a cold breeze over my shoulders and curl up on my side.

Wait... where am I?

I immediately go into panic mode and sit up. I am sitting on the side of a farm track alone, missing my shoes. Looking round I see one of my Converse lying in a ditch and the other a bit away hanging on the fench post. My brain is spinning and I feel my hangover beginning to set in. I roll over on my side to fetch my shoes and hear a sickening crunch as I do so.

My phone...

I pull out my phone from my pocket to see a huge crack running down the screen. Trying helplessly to turn it on but to no advantage, I moan and pull on my shoes. I rack my brain trying to remember how I got here and vaguely remember Levi coming from the road to the right. Struggling to walk on my twisted ankle, I stumble over the grass and finally reach the end of the path. I look down the road and see, on the other side, there is an abondoned old help phone. I wait for a break in the traffic whislt feeling for a couple of dollars then head across the road to it.

I put in my dollars and push in my home number. Someone picks up on the very last ring.

"Hello?"

"Mom?"

"Sophie... Where the hell are you???" She yells down the phone. I can hear dad in the background asking for me but she shushes him.

"Mom, I'm near the gas station." I whisper and she huffs again.

"I'm on my way. You are going to school straight away. I don't care if you are hungover or you don't have any books. What the hell were you thinking?" She says and hangs up. I hunch my shoulders in defeat and fal down to the ground to slouch by the phone booth.

Nearly half an hour later mom pulls up and pulls open the door.

"mom..." I whimper but she ignores me. Like a puppy with its tail between its legs, I climb into the car and she drives off. I try to get her to speak to me but there is no point. She is a tough nut to crack. I finally give up and roll down the window, realising I smell bad.

"I'll take you home to get dressed and shower." She sighs after a while.

"thank you." I say and I am actually grateful.

...

I get in the shower as soon as we get back and wash my hair. Dirt and leaves wash down the drain and my bare arms that were streaked with mud are wiped clean. When I get out I wipe my makeup off and cleanse my face. Blow drying my hair, I go over the events of last night with regret sitting in y gut. I cannot believe Tanner tried to kiss me. I feel ashamed. I put on my underwear and feel out some leggings and a plain black top. Comfort is my best option right now. My Ugg boots call to me from their place on my shoe rack so I slide them on with a pair of fluffy socks then take a glimpse in the mirror. I look hungover and I feel even worse.

Mom has gone to bed with a 'migraine' so dad takes me to school in his work car. I feel terrible because he stayed off work to wait for me to get home but I keep my mouth shut the whole journey.

"Dad," I say as I leave, "I'm so sorry." I feel tears prick in my eyes.

"I'm not angry Sophie." He says and I know what he is going to say. "I am just disappointed."

I slam the car door and he drives away at a fast pace. Heading for the office, I unfurl the note mom wrote for me, and I wait at reception. The little receptionist comes over and I hand her the note. She registers me and then offers to take me to class. I decline and head for my locker instead. I pile my books in and take out my book for the next lesson. Walking to my lesson is painful, not just because of my hangover, but because of my regret. I see people in my grade through class room windows and my heart begins to pound as I get closer to the door. My hand settles on the handle and I slowly turn it.

Instantly the whole class has their eyes on me. Being the period before lunch, they obviosuy know something is wrong with me being so late. I offer an apology to my teacher and head for my seat next to Alyssa at the back. Kaitlyn sits alone, without Megan. They both begin to ask what is wrong but I ignore them until the the teacher stops talking so I don't get into any more trouble.

"What happened?" Kaitlyn questions once we are set a task.

"I ran away and woke up on the side of the road. You can imagine how my mom reacted."

"Oh god..." Alyssa mouthes.

"Tanner tried to kiss me. Why did I ever start speaking to him again?" I laugh ironically.

"Don't worry. It's only one period after lunch and then we can o to the mall. You feeling that?" Kaitlyn offers but I say no. I can't face the packed mall with my headache, and I want to visit Hayes.

"Don't worry. I think you just need space." Alyssa says and I nod. She smiles understandingly and I turn back to my work. My head spins and I give up on everything.

At lunch I ditch the others, not wanting to be near Tanner, and try to find where to go. The back of the school is crowded with stoners and under the bleachers there are couples making out. I gag and head for my last resort. The library. I go to my spot in the corner and cosy up on a bean bag. My book has crumpled in my bag so I smooth out the pages and carry on from where I left off. I forger how good it is to just read for a while and soon enough I am immersed in the novel. The book begins to get good and I feel my toes curl in excitement. I flip the page and something falls out and drifts under a bookshelf.

I gasp and swiftly fall onto my front so I can grab the slim piece of paper. I pull out a shiny set of photo taken from a photobooth and recognise it instantaneously. It is a set of photos Hayes and I took in the photobooth at the Greensboro show. The top one is of us glancing at each other awkwardly, the second I am doing the peace sign whilst he laughs, the third we are looking stunned, not expecting the camera to flash and the fourth is... adorable. I have spontaneously kissed him on the cheek and he is blushing pink. I lauh and wipe my cheek, alarmed to find a tear rolling down.